Umbrella.



J. R. HOPKINS.

UMBRBLLA. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29, 1911'.

Patented Allg. 19, 1913.

l IIIIIIIIIllunt4ililIIliillilllfllllllllllIIllllillllll COLUMBIAPLANocRAPn Co.. WASHINGTON D UNITED STATES PATENT BEIGE.

JAMES R. HOPKINS, OF VINE GROVE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOWILLIAM C. VJOODS, OF VINE GROVE, KENTUCKY.

UMBRELLA.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES It. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vine Grove, in the county of Hardin and State of Kentucky,have invented new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas, of which thefollowing is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide an umbrella that can be quicklyand easily opened automatically by the operator.

For the purpose mentioned, use isI made of a tubular staif having aspring disposed therein, one end of the spring being rigidly secured inthe staff, the other end of the spring being attached to a slidablesleeve constituting` a handle, a series of ribs hingedly mounted at theupper end of the staff and hingedly connected by suitable rods and bracerods to a ring secured to the staff so that the ribs can be foldedaround the statt when it is desired to close the umbrella, a runnermovably mounted on the staff and having connection with the ribs and aconnection between the said handle and the said runner whereby when thehandle is operated toward the lower end of the staf the ribs will bemoved to closed position and when the handle is released from lockingengagement with the lower end of the staff the action of the spring willoperate the said ribs, thus opening the umbrella.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings constituting a partof this specification, in which similar characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which* Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a portion of my umbrella showing the same in open position,parts being broken away to disclose the underlying structure, and thecover being removed therefrom. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portionof my umbrella showing the same in closed posit-ion, parts being brokenaway. F ig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the mannerof securing the upper ends of `the springs to the inner side of thestaff.

Referring more particularly to the views, I provide a tubular staff 10having a longitudinally extending slot 11 therein and rigidly secured tothe upper end of the staff is a collar 12 having hingedly mountedthereon a series of ribs 13. Rigidly secured to the staff 10 is a ring14 having hingedly mounted thereon rods 15, the said rods 15Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 29, 1911.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Serial No. 617,629.

inner side o-f the staff 10 and threadedlvV engaging the said nut is abolt- 19, the said lower end of the said bolt being connected to aspring 20. Slidably mounted on the staff 10 is a runner 21 and hingedlymounted on the said runner are actuating rods 22 having their outer endshingedly connected with the rods 15 at points 23, the spring 20 beingsecured at its lower end to the runner 21 by members 24 extendingthrough the slot 11.

Mounted in the staff 10 and having the upper end thereo-f connected tothe runner 21 is a connecting rod 25, the lower end of the saidconnecting rod being connected with a sleeve 26 slidably mounted on thestall 10 and provided with a handle 27, the said sleeve being providedwith a slot 26a. Mounted in the staff 10 at the lower end thereof is alocking spring 28 adapted to extend through a slot 29 in the staff 10 toreleasably lock the sleeve in position at the lower end of the staff l0and adjacent the usual handle 30 thereof.

In the operation of my device, assuming that the umbrella is in closedposition, when it is desired to open the same, the locking spring 28 ispressed inwardly, thus disengaging the sleeve 26 with the locking springand the contractile spring 20, being in tension when the umbrella isclosed and having a suitable contracting force, tends to assume itsnormal position, thus actuating the sleeve 26 to slide upwardly on thestaff 10, thus also actuating the runner 21 to slide upwardly on thestaff. As the runner slides upwardly, the actuating rods 22 will bemoved to force t-he ribs 13 outwardly and into open position, owingtothe auxiliary rods 1G and the rods 15 having hinged connection with theactuating rods 22. IVhen it is desired to close the umbrella, the handle27 is grasped and moved toward the handle 30 of the umbrella sta, thusmoving the ribs 13 to closed position, and the umbrella will be retainedin closed or locked position by the locking spring 28 engaging thesleeve 2G in the slot 26a thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that by simplypressing the spring 28, the umbrella will be automatically opened andthe same can he quickly closed l y rengaging the sleeve 2G with thespring 28.

Although for the purpose of describing my invention i have shown aparticular construction, it will be understood that the scope oit myinvention is defined in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what l claim as new, is:-

ln an umbrella structure, the combination of a tubular stall having alongitudinal slot therein, a collar secured thereon, ribs pivotallysecured to said collar, a ring rigidly secured to said stall and spacedbelow said collar, sectional stretcher rods pivotally connected withsaid ring and ribs, a. runner slidable on said staff, actuating rodshaving pivotal connection with said runner and stretcher rods, a blockiixedly secured within said stall at the upper end thereof, a secondblock slidahle within said stad and rigidly connected with said ruimerthrough said slot, a longitudinally disposed rod arranged within saidstall and hai/*ing its upper end extending through said second mentionedblock and provided with an eye, a retractile spring disposed betweensaid blocks and having one of its ends connected with said fixed blockand its opposite end secured in said eye ,of the rod and operating todraw said runner upwardly on said staff to move said ribs to openposition, said runner being adapted to abut against said iXed ring tolimit its movement in one direction, a sleeve slidahle on said stati"helow said runner and rigidly secured to the lower end of saidlongitudinally disposed rod through said slot, means for lowering saidsleeve to extend said spring and more said ribs to closed position, saidsleeve being provided with a slot, and means on the lower end of saidstall:1 for coperation with said slot of the sleeve to retain saidspring extended and the umbrella in closed position.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES R. HOPKINS.

l,Witnesses C. ifi. Linien, F. E. PATTERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latentsl Washington, D. C.

